


Saddled

by Colbysheep



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Arranged Marriage, Casey is a horse, Curses, Dave is Rapunzel, Jade is a witch, Magic, Medievalstuck, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Relationships will be added, Royalty, Running Away, They are mostly just really lucky, They have some powers, Thievery, beta kids - Freeform, pet raven
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-31
Updated: 2015-03-31
Packaged: 2018-03-20 15:48:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3655986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Colbysheep/pseuds/Colbysheep
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Being locked in a tower for 17 years really sucks, so when a lost stranger breaks into your home and offers you a way out you take it. </p><p>Being a witch is a crime punishable by death in several towns. Science isn't magic but it might as well be with some of these people.</p><p>Being heir to a kingdom means you will take on great responsibility and sometimes arranged political marriage is part of the deal, but when the Heirs of Winade and Ligain disappear from the castle the region is thrown for a loop.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Saddled

**Dave ⇒ Be in distress**

You had plenty of time to think about what to say to the first stranger you would meet. After all, when you have been house-sitting an ancient tower for the last 16 of your 17 years you find yourself with a lot of extra time on your hands. Not that time really makes much sense, though the concept itself really fascinates you. The thought that everything that has or will happen can be labeled by a number. It made space feel more organized. It also made you feel completely shitty because you don’t have anything to spend your time on. Well other than your tutoring lessons every other day. The Queen set that up. You probably should call her mother, but you would rather not associate them with you, the same way they don’t associate with you outside of a few days a year. Also Wednesdays, Wednesdays are bad for you. You do all the choirs that day and it’s the one day that your tutor, Bro, doesn’t come. You are going to forget that.

So like every time before when Wednesday comes around you do your chores, but first you brush out your shoulder-length pale hair because that shit is getting tangled. Next step is to open the windows and stare out longingly for at least a minute you have very important royal brooding to do. But because you get completely lost in time You end up staring at the cloudy sky and swaying trees for closer to 5 minutes. Well - 4 minutes and 9 seconds to be exact. You're pretty good and telling how much time passes once you start paying attention again. Next you should probably sweep or something. You forget to do that.

Later when you are sitting in the window seal drawing another portrait of a bird do you realize that Bro is probably going to be disappointed in the fact you haven’t done anything. You can tell when he is disappointed because he will always sigh at least twice within five minutes. Really he’s very obvious.

To avoid the upcoming guilt trip, you roll out of the window and back into the hallway and head downstairs to grab a broom.

_Knock_

You don’t pay attention to anything other than the spider glaring at you from its stringy web. Little asshole thinks it stands a chance. You rip the handle through its web and slam the blunt end on the spider crushing it against the wall. With a triumphant hoot your glide back into the hallway and freeze. Staring down at you from the top of the door is a bird.

“Liz!” You hold out your arm out towards the crow and the bird hops onto your shoulder obediently. You stroke her pitch feathers before going on your way. You still don’t notice anything.

****  
  


In fact, you won’t notice that there is a stranger in your home until you step into the same room as them. It’s a guy broad-shouldered, messy dark hair and … _is he going through your chest?_

You’ve always been told two things.

Don’t wander off.

Don’t talk to strangers.

You must  forget those things too because you shush Liz whose hunched over your shoulder. She flicks her feathers nervously. You then stalk forward, holding your broom like a sword- the only way you’ve been taught. Once you sneak up behind the stranger who is, luckily, still hunched over digging through your stuff.   _How dare he-_ doesn’t he have any manners? Fueled by rage and adrenaline you swing the broom viciously at his head and scream.

“GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY CHEST!”

_Whack!_

You probably would have knocked the guy out if you were armed with anything stronger than a weathered old sage broom. The difficulty of spiders has misled you. The guy lilts to the side before springing up.

Liz flaps idly above the scene waiting for you to stop jabbing the bristled end of the broom at the intruder. You do when the guy starts laughing at you.

You stand there, broom limply hanging in your hand and a crow settling onto your head and then you realize that this is the first new person you’ve met since you were 3 and though you’ve dreamed about this moment for years you can’t think of another word to say so you do the only thing you can remember how to do.

You run.

___

**Jade ⇒ Be confused**

You are pretty sure that if people would just stop and listen to your entire lecture that they would understand. You are also pretty sure that you can adequately explain your theory of reactions and physics in a couple of hours and everyone would enlightened and life would be a lot more interesting. Too bad your latest experiment ended up being just a little more fiery than it was supposed to and it only takes two minutes before you see the first pitchfork pointed at you. You are not sure what went wrong.

Unfortunately some people just do not like learning and those people are losers, they are also chasing you through a village. You have to leave behind some of your equipment,  nothing you can’t replace, but if you don’t move faster you’re going to lose your head. Pushing your heels in the ground you propel yourself past huts as fast as you can. Your stupid spectacles are slipping down your face and - ouch your foot!

Oh god, you are sure that is bleeding and something is definitely stuck in your foot. Now it’s a fast hobbling as you cut behind the nearest shed into an ally. The villagers are catching up and you are starting to panic because you are trapped in between a horse and a hard place.

You are about to try to dash through it when someone grabs your arm from behind. You squeal and try to hit the person holding you, but they effortlessly sweep your other arm away and lean in close. Hood hiding their features.

“Are they after you?”

You nod still trying tug your arm free and catch your breath. You’re pretty sure you are crying, but that’s not really your fault, it’s a natural reaction to stress and this is very stressful.

The person clutching your arm doesn’t seem too phased and waste no time in grabbing the horse by its bridle and tugging you toward it.

“Let’s go then.” They quickly swing over onto the horse. You are frozen unsure of what’s going on but the person grabs your arm again and the shouting is getting louder. You leap weakly up and they pull you the rest of the way onto the beast. You haven’t even steadied yourself before the horse is in a full gallop out of the alleyway and racing out of the village.

Your heart is pounding as you clutch desperately to your savior when several things hit you at once. The most prominent is the fact that your entire left leg burns in pain you definitely don’t have any shoes, you sold those for your last bag of minerals.

You also notice that the person in front of you is probably a female because you are pretty sure you are groping her in your desperate attempt to not fall off this horse. You slid that arm down to her stomach for a less awkward position.

****  
  


Finally, it hits you. You were for sure going to be tied to a stake, but someone saved you. The village is growing farther and farther behind and you are alive, even if a little roughed up. The last 6 times you’ve been run out it was with just a few threats. The only other time they actually chased you, the villagers stopped after you started running.

Reception has been growing colder each time you enter a new town. Bad things just keep happening around the time you’d get there. Storms, missing items, and things just generally going wrong. You’ve tried to tell yourself it’s just bad timing, but it’s starting to get to you. What if you do have a curse? What if you really are a witch? But that's impossible, you don’t believe in magic. In fact, that’s the whole point of trying to teach people science.

The horse isn’t galloping so fast anymore, but it is still moving faster than you ever could manage. You don’t know where the girl is heading, but you don’t really have a reason to get off. You won’t say no to a free ride.

After a while, your grip does loosen into a cautious hold onto the riders hips. You are aware you are seven miles away from the village when the horse finally comes to a walk. The next town is 5 miles due west, but the direction you're heading will skirt just past it.

You are about to point this out when you realize you haven’t said a single thing to this person. Probably shouldn't start off with a complaint. You voice is rather strained when you finally do speak.

“T-thank you”

The women jerks just a little before she replies, “Oh I almost forgot you were back there. Hmph, you're welcome. I couldn’t really leave you there though, sort of in my way.”

You're taken aback. “Well, that was sort of rude. But I still appreciate it.” You are pretty sure she could have passed you or just trampled you with her horse. Maybe she didn’t think about it. Maybe she was actually being nice. You aren’t sure.

Her hood is hiding most of her face so you still can't see her features when she tilts her head towards you. You admit. You're really getting curious.

“Yeah. I’m sure, just like I will appreciate it when you take a bath- you reak.”

You frown and draw your hands slowly into your lap. You are fairly confident that you can sit on the horse without them. You do admit it’s been a while before you have had the opportunity to really groom. You have made hard treks on foot and have been working so hard on your projects and presentations that you’ve not even noticed too much. Most villagers would be in the same condition anyways.

“Don’t get your knickers in a twist I'm going take care of that.” You eyebrows scrunch together before you look over her shoulder. You realize why she took this route now. In front of you is a large creek that rest upstream of the next town.

_Fresh water._

You almost throw yourself off the horse.

___

**Karkat ⇒ Be pestered**

Today is the first day of your job. Well, it’s the first day you haven’t wished that one of these bloody mules would kick you in the head and put you out of your misery.

Your creepy boss had previous engagements and for once isn’t ogling the horses or nagging you about how poorly you wax the prince’s favorite saddle for the fourth time that day. This was good news on it’s on. Any day that sweaty behemoth of a man isn’t breathing down your very snappable neck is a good day.

So it was made even better is the fact that nearly all of the local noblemen are busy attending another one of their presumptuous feast between Winade and it’s neighboring region, Ligain. So there were few people coming in or leaving today. Since you work for the Winade palace’s main stable most of the horses that came in belonged to nobles, clergy, and the elite.

This makes you especially nervous, but it always makes you twice as angry. You never hear the end of it. Every royal prick that comes in here wants their horse to be pampered and gleaming in five minutes. It’s always “Make sure to polish the 67 gold buttons on the tack but only use this very specific brand of polish that I know you don’t have” and “Put 42 braids in the tail and 24 in the mane and they have to be perfectly even or the last four hairs on King Purpleface’s head will fall clean off.”  

Yeah, it’s your job, but it’s a suck-ass job.

The only reason you're here is because this was the only place willing to hire you. But yeah, you're pleased that it’s going to be a nice day.

In fact, the only person to come through here today was prince John himself. He took his stallion out before dawn broke. You weren’t even awake yet, still snug and warm in a pile of hay when his royal bigmouth came stomping through the stables calling for you.

You were awoken with a lantern in your face and fury in your heart. John asked where he could find the light riding tack and you reluctantly lead him to the back room with only a few civil death threats. The prince rarely took offense to anything you said, sometimes he would just drop by to talk to you about whatever crossed his mind. He liked to say it was because you were honest with him, you were pretty sure it was because no one else could be trapped in the same area as him long enough for him to open his mouth. If so they wouldn’t dare say anything to upset the prince.  

Even though you knew you should respect royalty more, you couldn’t help but spurt curses and insults whenever he would get in your way and say or do something stupid. The first time you did you almost had a heart attack, suddenly convinced he was about to cull you then and there. He just laughed. You haven’t worried since then. If you didn’t know any better you’d say he was a friend.

So when the prince rode off saying he was going for a short morning ride you told him you didn’t care what he did as long as he knew which end of the horse was which. But when one of the poor servants came looking for him before the opening ceremony you shrugged and told him you haven’t seen anything but horse ass today.

No one came by again till mid afternoon.  You were brushing one of the Ligian horses, the princesses you think. It’s a spunky one took you half an hour just to get her to hold still so you could pick all of the golden straw. Its also the last horse you had to groom. You were just finishing a final brush down when a mess of curls pops up beneath the horse’s white belly.

You have to hold back a yell.

“Gamzee! Get out from under the horse! Don’t you know better you poor excuse for a - a … _what even are you?_ ”

Gamzee’s tall frame unfolds itself as he steps out from the horse. He is easily a foot and a half taller than you and most of his head is unruly hair. He’s once again dressed in very bright but very worn commoner’s clothing it really doesn’t fit him right. So he looks the same as always.

The horse neighs and shifts away from the newcomer and you attempt to shush the mare.

“Who knows who they really are?” Gamzee drawls making a dramatic arch with his arm before placing it on the back if the horse. “But I know what I’m looking for.”

You roll your eyes. You can feel your temperature rising. You roughly rake a hand through your hair but decide to entertain him.

“What? What in this drab crumbling world are you looking for?”

“Why Tav of course”

“Of course” You draw out the word like it's the most obvious thing in the world. Tavros works with you but unlike you - he absolutely loves working with the animals. They practically flock to him, it’s almost laughable how he practically frolics with them. But you’ve seen him break the toughest horses in minutes and he’s rather skilled with a lance. It almost makes up for how pathetic he is with almost anything else. You once asked him to go to the market to pick up a bag of shoe tacks and some more feed and lo and behold if he didn’t come back with a shoe rack and bag of seed.

You aren’t sure when Gamzee started showing up, but you are aware that he flocks to Tavros just like every other dirty creature in a ten mile radius. Gamzee is weirdly mellow, you have never seen him pull more than a frown, you doubt that even a screw up like Tavros could make him angry.

You do know that if he sticks around much longer he will tear something up. Again. So you point him out towards the pasture. Gamzee laughs and thanks you and it would have been fine at that. You would have gone on your way, maybe went out for a nice walk. Leave out this shit barn for once. But then he slaps a hand on the mare’s flank and walks off. When you look back at the horse you notice a large deep purple hand prints and smears on her formally glistening white fur.

“What kind of shit do you have on your hands!?” you yell in the direction of the tree lumbering off but you get no reply. You let out a hoarse scream before knocking your head into the horse’s side mumbling.

“Would you like to do me a favor? Just. Just kick me."

__

**Rose ⇒ Be ignored**

Today is the twelfth dinner between your kingdom and Winade. This is also the sixth one you will be attending without John. You are equally involved in this union as much as you wish you weren’t.

When you are asked how you feel about Prince Egbert you are supposed to reply that you love him and can wait to be wedded. You never say that. You do love him but only as he is your best friend, you grew up with him and no matter how hard you try to convince yourself you can’t think of John any other way.

So when you are asked by an outsider, you tell them that he’ll do and smile. Most of them think you are making a joke and with give a small laugh and move on, satisfied. You smile at them when they leave only thinking them as a fool.

But he is your best friend you would rather him then somebody you don’t know. You would also rather him show up to dinner so you don’t have to make small talk with the pompous duke that always bragging about his caged hunts.

You have tried to get out of going to the dinners, but your mother has been very disapproving of the notion. She insists that missing the dinner would be offensive, even though you are positive that no one would even notice if you were gone. They only asked once the first time John skipped out and forgot about it before the band started the next song.

You sink further down in your rose bath until only your eyes are above the water. The flowery aroma of the bath is soothing and you are tempted to drift off but you expect Kanaya will come to drag you out soon. You decide to go ahead get out of the tub and wrap yourself in a towel.

By the time Kanaya comes in with a bundle of towels in her arms, you are already dressed in a slip.

“Oh you’re already out” Kanaya sets the fresh towels down near the bath and follows you out into your bedchamber. She immediately heads for the wardrobe and picks out a beautiful ivory dress. It’s lovely and one of Kanaya’s finest pieces but you have very little desire to wear it.

“How much trouble would I be in if I were to arrive at the table in just my slip?” You ask raking your fingers through your long wet hair.

Kanaya surprises you but circling you and studying your body in a way that makes your ears warm. Before you can fidget though she replies

“Well, if they don’t kick you out for being an unholy seductress they would probably forgive you.” You scoff and allow Kanaya to start lacing up your corset. Her breath is cool against your neck as she works and you have a hard time thinking of anything to say.

You met Kanaya when you were 12. She came to the castle, nothing but bones and dirt. It didn't take long for her to become a favorite of the palace and was assigned as your handmaid.

She started with small repaird to clothes. Then she started tending to pieces, making them more ornate and fitting. Now she spends much of her free time designing clothing that royalty would often drool over.

And here you are, sneering at the silk gown hanging mockingly on the wardrobe door.

When your mother strides into your room you have a hard time not saying something. You know she has already visited the kitchen, you can smell the southern wine on her when she comes close to inspect you with pursed lips.

****  
  


“Yes, mother?”

“Hm? Oh, I just came to check on my darling Rosaline. Make sure you were getting ready for tonight.”

You really detest when she uses your full name. She is aware of this. She won't stay long, just to make sure you are doing what she asked.

“Oh, I thought you were just lost. Again.”

You mother’s painted lips turn downwards as she addresses Kanaya for the first time. “Make it tighter.” Then the Queen of Ligain glides out of the room.

Kanaya whispers over your shoulder “Sorry” as she finishes lacing you up. You can tell it’s even looser then before though and you can breathe now.

“Kanaya?” You ask as she helps you into the next part of your dress.

“Yes, _Rosaline_?” You can hear the snark in her voice and you are proud. When you first met her and she couldn’t keep eye contact with you for more than two seconds without apologizing.

“I want you to bail me out of this dinner.” You relay your thoughts on being forced to sit through these boring political dinners with the same people every week and how unfair it is that John gets to have all the fun.

She entertains your idea for a few minutes before asking how you plan to get away with it.

This catches you off guard because suddenly you are positive that you can get away with it. You have a very strong inclination that if you do anything worthwhile it will be tonight. You aren’t sure how to explain this to Kanaya so you tell her to trust you and she does.

Later that night when you have been sitting at the feast for over an hour you realize that everyone must have gotten into the southern wine because not a single person is sober enough to tell you who they are. Even King Egbert is nursing a goblet and laughing so hard his face is scarlet.

You scan the side of the room, eager for Kanaya to appear. When she finally does show up, right in the middle of one of the Ampora’s infamous fishing jokes, you quickly excuse yourself to the nearest person. They don’t show a single sign they heard you. Perfect.

When you and Kanaya arrive at your guest bedroom you double check the satchels on the bed to make sure she got everything you need. “Food?”

“Already downstairs- be still so I can get you changed.” You obey excitedly twirl rings of hair between your fingers. This has to be the most ill-advised stunt you’ve tried to pull. Really, when you try to defend it you can't come up with a solid reason. Everything about sneaking out is totally against your nature, but there's just something telling you that this is the right thing to do. Who are you to argue with destiny?

You can tell when Kanaya’s fingers slow down. You are about to ask what the problem is but she beats you to it “How long are you planning to go?” Her voice unsure, it’s a tone she hasn’t really used in a while.

“Until I feel like coming back. It shouldn’t be long, maybe a day? I doubt mother will even be awake before I get back, but you know just in case I should write a note.” You ramble on while searching for a piece of parchment and pen. When you look over your shoulder at her you notice her rich jade eyes are determined and you know you won't be going alone.

You smile. “I'm guessing you are already packed.”

You jot down a quick note

__

**John ⇒ Be curious**

You feel kind of bad about leaving Rose alone at another dinner, but it’s probably not a big deal. Your father has planned some five different feasts in the past two weeks, you aren’t missing anything. Too bad Rose has been trapped into going to everyone, you should talk to her tonight when you get back. Maybe you can convince her to go on a ride with you.

You doubt it.

Rose almost never actually does anything she isn’t supposed to. You know she hates it but it’s good to stay on everyone’s good side. She says it’s called self-control and she’s just waiting for an opportunity. You tell her opportunity is easier to find if you go out and look for it.

She replied, quite seriously that she ‘always was lousy at hide and seek, she couldn’t even find her twin.’

You weren’t sure how to reply to that. You knew she was supposed to have a twin, everyone knew, the child had died as a baby and left Rose as the sole heir to Ligain just as you were heir to Winade.

This is why she and the Queen have been staying at your castle for a few weeks. You have enjoyed spending time with Rose, so it was too bad they were scheduled to return the day after tomorrow.

You probably should have at least invited her with you.

It's already noon and you have been riding straight all day.

You probably should have thought more about this course of action. If you had you would have realized that you are heading straight for the border.

You were probably only a couple of miles deep into Ligain territory before you noticed, but the forest was so beautiful and once K.C got into a good gallop you didn’t want to stop. You loved the feeling of air rushing past. Nothing compared to riding horseback, it was like flying.

So you barely noticed you were off the main road when you came to a guard tower. Or what probably used to be a guard tower. It was weathered down and rocks crumbled off the building. It definitely couldn't be safe. Something about the place made you want to forget about it as soon as possible, but a flash of white catches your eye when you turn your head. You end up watching the top of the tower for a couple minutes.

When person rushes past the window, blonde hair bouncing behind them, it's decided that this is a very suspicious scene. Seems like a good enough reason to investigate.

Of course you don’t immediately barge in, that would be rude, so you knock. Once. After three long seconds, you decide that no one is going to answer the door so you jiggle the handle open.

The study wood doesn't give very easily so you slam into it with a little more force. It swings open.

Inside of the tower, the rooms are neat but fairly dusty. You have to hold back a sneeze to avoid alerting anyone you that are snooping about in here. The thought of being caught is exhilarating, you haven't done anything this risky for at least a fortnight. You nearly float up the stairs, not even feeling your feet touch the ground when heading in the direction you figure the room is.

Later when you are digging through a box admiring some drawings do you realize that, especially as a prince, you should not be breaking and entering people’s homes. You just so happen to remember this exactly the same time that something stiff comes in contact with your face.

You spin around quickly, prepared for another attack, probably by a large ruffian. You aren’t prepared for a guy, the one you previously assumed to be a young lady, scream to stop touching their chest.

You aren’t sure why this strikes you as more hilarious than one of Ampora’s legendary fishing jokes, but you do and you roar in laughter.

You feel a little guilty when the guy turns on his heels and bolts. You barely manage to catch a glimpse of a black bird following close behind him.

You follow, of course.

Maneuvering steep stairwells and narrow corridors is much harder to do when running. You try to keep an eye on the blond without tripping over your own feet. You barely manage to catch up when he cuts a hard right.   You almost pass it up but you find him cornered at the end of a short hallway.

He’s wide-eyed and still holding his broom in a strong defensive stance. You approach holding your palms out tentatively.

“Hey. Sorry, I snooping but uh.. I'm not here to rob you or anything if that’s what you're thinking?” You aren’t entirely sure that this is how you reassure someone whose house you broke into, but you try anyway.

“How’d you find this place?” It's dark in here and it's hard to make anything of his face.

“I didn’t really find it, I sort of just … got lost?” You rub the back of your neck and try to force the awkward smile off your face. It is kind of embarrassing. The Ligains probably aren’t going to appreciate a future king who can’t even navigate their land properly.

The boy straightens up and brushes some pale hair out of his face. Wow, this kid is pale. He looks like he’s never seen the sun in his life. You fail not voice this thought to him.

His face gains a little color. You admit, it suits him.

“Sorry again for just barging in here, I’m Jonathan.” You hold your hand out politely.

He steps forward seeming more at ease but still nervous. He glances at your hand and takes it. “Dave”

“Dave?”

“Yeah, like David”

“I wasn’t questioning your name, just uh… why do you have a bird on your shoulder?”

The crow’s eyes gleams in the darkness and you feel like you are being scrutinized. Daves mouths an ‘oh’ and though he doesn’t quite smile you can feel the energy shift. He finally lets go of your hand.

“Yeah, this is Liz, best crow in all of Ligain. Probably all the world.” He reaches up and strokes the bird's head gently. “Say hello, Elizabeth.”

You smile and nod politely at the crow, but you jump when the bird looks at you and clear as day says,

_“Hellow”_

__

“Whoa!” You stare at the bird sitting on his shoulder with a newfound interest.

“I know right, it scared the hell out me the first time but it’s really cool.”

Dave raises his hand to Liz for her to hop on to bring the bird closer to your face, and you hesitantly stroke her feathers. “What else can you say?”

“Hide”

Dave coughs out a laugh while shaking his head, “You silly bird, Liz, why don’t you go hunt.” Liz angles her head at Dave- processing- before she flies away with a soft caw.

Now it’s just the two of you again and you find yourself rubbing your hands together. “I am not sure exactly where I am if you could lead me back to the main road?” You rake a hand through your hair and smile.

“I … uh… where are you trying to go?”

“I guess back to Winade”

“Yeah, yeah! that'll work. I will take you back to the main road." He holds up a skinny finger, "If I can come with you."

You nod. It’s not that far, you're sure it wouldn’t be an issue. He's probably just nervous about traveling alone, there's been word of bandits heavy in these parts. It's probably best to go with someone familiar with these parts anyway.

“Of course, let’s go!”

__

****  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Well here is the first chapter of Saddled (Title subject to change.) I hope you enjoyed it and don't get your hopes up for rapid updates. I do have part 1 completely mapped out though. We'll see. 
> 
> -Colby


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